308th Strategic Missile Wing At Little Rock AFB, Arkansas - Lineage - 308th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 15 April 1942 to 6 January 1946, 308th Reconnaissance Group (weather), 17 October 1946 to 5 January 1951, 308th Bombardment Group (Medium), 10 October 1951 to 16 June 1952, 308th Bombardment Wing, Medium16 June 1952 to 25 June 1961, 308th Strategic Missile Wing (ICBM-Titan), 29 November 1961 to 18 August 1987. Later designated 308th Armament Systems Wing Operations Squadrons 373 SMS activated on 1 Apr 1962, inactivated 18 Aug 1987. 374 SMS activated on 1 Sep 1962, inactivated 15 Aug 1986. The squadrons each had 18 Titan II SM-68B) (LGM25C) missiles. Events There were two major accidents in 308 SMW sites, the first during the Project Yard Fence modification, on 9 August 1965, at complex 373-4. A fire occurred when a welding rod made contact with a high pressure hydraulic hose, rupturing the hose. 53 contract workers died in the fire. On 18 September 1980, at complex 374-7 near Damascus, Arkansas, a propellant transfer team member dropped a large socket wrench while working on a propellant leak. The socket bounced off the thrust mount ring and punctured the stage I fuel tank. The resultant leak eventually caused an explosion that destroyed the missile silo amd resulted in one fatality, SRA David Livingston. A book, “Command and Conrtol,” by author Eric Schlosser, was made into a Public Broadcsting System documentary and aired in 2016 and 2017. | 
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| 381st Strategic Missile Wing At McConnell AFB, Kansas. Lineage - 381st Bombardment Group (Heavy), 28 October 1942, 28 August 1945, 381th Bombardment Wing, M (very Heavy), 24 Jul 1947 - 27 June 1949, 390th Strategic Missile Wing (ICBM – Titan), 1 March 1962 to 8 August 1986. Redesignated as 381st Training Group, activated on 1 April 1994, at Vandenberg AFB, California, as the missile training organization. Operations Squadrons 532 SMS - activated 1 March 1962, inactivvated 8 August 533 SMSquadron - activated 1 March 1962, inactivated 8 August 1986; The squadrons each had 18 Titan II SM-68B) (LGM25C) missiles. Events A Significant accident occurred at complex 533-7 on 24 August 1978, when a poppet valve failed during a propellant transfer, spilling 13,220 gallons of nitrogen tetroxde. SSgt Robert J. Thomas and AIC Erby B. Hepstall died as aresult of the spill. |
390th Strategic Missile Wing At Davis Monthan AFB, Arizona - Lineage - 39oth Bombardment Group (Heavy), 26 January 1943, 28 August 1945, 390th Bombardment Wing, Medium, 23 Mar 1953, 390th Strategic Missile Wing (ICBM – Titan), 1 Jan 1962 to 31 July 1984. Operations Squadrons 570 SMS - activated 1 Jan 1962, inactivated 31 July 1984. 571 SMS - activated 1 May 1962, deactivated 2 Dec 1983. The squadrons each had 18 Titan II SM-68B) (LGM25C) missiles. Events Launch Complex 571-7 is now open at the Titan Missile Museum in Green Valley, Arizona, south nof Tucson. |
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